"paedophile"

so it seems both sides across the great divide widely use that term but ascribe more or less opposite meanings to it.
As a fairly small group, childlovers use it in an entirely positive way.
But, the overwhelming majority out there use it to signify all that is evil and corrupted.
I have been debating within myself, as well as online, whether to relinquish the use of this term and hand it over to the enemy, on a platter.
some reasons for doing this:
-the idea that a paedophile is someone that abuses, and takes advantage of children is very well accepted in the world.
-this term started out as a clinical designation for a "sexual disorder".
-belonging to the most hated element of society is not a pleasing thought to me.
Let us use alternatives to "paedophile" - or would it be a seeming sacrilege to let go of it?